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I saw a report on Dateline last night where they talked about how insulation contractors can fluff the insulation so it looks like a lot but they use less material. How can I tell if the installation I just had done was fluffed?
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Is it too late to get a bag count? If not, the bags ought to indicate the area the contents will insulate at the depths required for several given R-values. I don't know about blown FG or rockwool, but I do know that the R-values on bags of cellulose are required to acount for settling. Otherwise, I think you need to wait for, maybe a year, and measure the settled depth of the insulation.
Andy
*Find a bag, check with the contractor, or call the manufacturer to find out the density of the material in pounds per cubic foot. Then get a 1'x1' square of plywood, go up into the attic, and lay the plywood on the insulation at a location in between joists. Press down on the plywood to compact the insulation and, using a knife, cut around the board. Push the surrounding material away to isolate the material under the board. Remove the board and place the material in a plastic bag. Then weigh the material. From this you can determine the Pounds per square foot actually installed, and from that the R value. Works every time.
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I saw a report on Dateline last night where they talked about how insulation contractors can fluff the insulation so it looks like a lot but they use less material. How can I tell if the installation I just had done was fluffed?